Mondo's "Planet of the Apes" Movie Poster Series

The five prints included in this post have already gone on sale as a set, and IMMEDIATELY sold out, but since there'll be a few more copies of each poster sold separately later today (minus Edmiston's "Go Ape"), I wanted to write a brief review for each print available. It's what I do. Let me start this entry off by saying I honestly think every single piece of artwork here is insanely impressive - there's not a dud in the set. And there's no denying that Mondo, and all of the artists involved, really brought their A-game to this anthropoid abundant series. Now on with the show!

Planet of the Apes Movie Poster
Martin Ansin
24" x 36" - Numbered
$230 (Entire Set) - Limited to 415

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but I really, really like Martin Ansin's Planets of the Apes poster. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's my favorite in the collection. I saw this design printed on wood at SDCC last year and was very close to pulling the trigger, but thankfully my fiscally responsible doppelgänger got the better of me. As usual, Ansin's eye for composition and his ability to create some truly jaw-dropping photorealistic primates is on full display here. I'm not sure if this is at all intentional, but it looks like all the characters included in this poster come together to form a vague skull-like shape. Color me intrigued. Bottom line: it's another stunner from Martin Ansin and almost assuredly going to make it into my top 10 of 2012. To learn more about the artist, be sure to visit martinansin.com and follow him on Twitter @martinansin.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes Movie Poster
Ken Taylor
24" x 36" - Numbered
$230 (Entire Set) - Limited to 395

I feel like Ken Taylor's posters always have a somewhat reverential quality to them. I don't mean that in a bad way, that's actually one of the things I really like about his work. Ken's monolithic arrangements remind me of a shrine or altar in their construction, which is absolutely perfect given the Planet of the Apes film he's covering (please note the nuclear bomb being worshipped in the poster's center). Also, I love the color scheme! It just exudes dark, dingy, dankness! If you'd like to find out more about artist Ken Taylor, head over to kentaylor.com.au.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes Movie Poster
Rich Kelly
24" x 36" - Numbered
$230 (Entire Set) - Limited to 320

I'm a huge fan of Rich Kelly's work, and I think this may be his strongest piece yet. Rich's pencil-sketch style only emboldens his slightly askew interpretation of the characters and their proportions, lending the artwork a smile-inducing and slyly surreal appearance. Out of all of the posters in the series, I think this is easily the most pleasant surprise in the pack. And if what I've been reading is true, I'm not the only one who feels this way. To learn more about artist Rich Kelly, be sure to visit rfkelly.com, his storefront and follow him @TheRichKelly.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Movie Poster
Phantom City Creative
24" x 36" - Numbered
$230 (Entire Set) - Limited to 370

The Planet of the Apes poster series from Mondo, is pretty much a who's who of incredibly talented artists that I'm completely obsessed about. As proof of that, I'd kindly like to direct your attention to Phantom City Creative's Conquest poster above. Phantom City has put together a wonderful looking design that evokes the propaganda of yesteryear. Seriously, if you put a Che beret on Caeser, I could picture this being plastered on city walls and used as a rallying cry for the enslaved apes. Here's one for the little guy ape! For more info on Phantom City Creative, be sure to visit phantomcitycreative.com, their store, and follow them on Twitter @PhantomCityCrtv.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes Movie Poster
Florian Bertmer
24" x 36" - Numbered
$230 (Entire Set) - Limited to 345

I think out of all of the prints mentioned here, Florian's poster is the one that most needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. Returning to my ecclesiastical comparisons, if Ken Taylor's artwork is similar to a shrine or altar, than Bertmer's work brings to mind a medieval stained-glass window belonging to a creepy church that may or may not have dabbled in ritual human sacrifice during the early 1350s. It's just pure evil. The man is also known for his crazily ornate borders, so I can't even imagine what this will look like in-hand. Spoiler: it's going to look great! To learn more about Florian Bertmer, checkout his website at florianbertmer.blogspot.com and the Moon Editions store.

All of these posters, except for Jason Edmiston's "Go Ape" print which, due to time constraints, I didn't have time to write about, will be individually available for purchase through Mondo later this morning (1/27) at a random time. Be sure to follow @MondoNews for all the drop details. Good luck! Now get off my lawn, you damned dirty apes!